Previews

Street Fighter Anniversary Collection

Spiffy:

Two all-time classic games for the price of one; Xbox Live support.

Iffy:

Graphics done in flickery interlaced mode; no online on PS2.

1991's Street Fighter II was one of the most influential video games of the decade, and I have fond, fond memories of lining up to dump my quarters into each and every installment. Street Fighter II tapped into something primal -- the human desire for competition. With its simple premise and flawless execution, it single-handedly created the modern fighting genre. Now, over a decade later, Capcom is paying tribute to the game that started it all. However, Street Fighter Anniversary Collection is actually two games in one: Hyper Street Fighter II Anniversary Edition and Street Fighter III: Third Strike.

Hyper Street Fighter II is the more nostalgic of the duo, and was released in Japan late last year. Similar to the Dreamcast Vampire Chronicle, Hyper Street Fighter II essentially compiles all of the five Street Fighter II releases into one big pile of fighting madness. Rather than choose which game to play, you choose which game's rules your character will follow. So, you could have Ryu from World Warrior (the original SF2) fighting Ryu from Super Turbo (the final edition).

Not impressed? Think again: It's almost like having two completely different characters. World Warrior Ryu, true to his source, has extremely powerful blows and can dizzy opponents with only a few blows. His Super Turbo incarnation, meanwhile, has a charging super meter (which can enable a super fireball), an overhead attack, faster but weaker fireballs, red fireballs, air hurricane kicks, and many more small but meaningful differences. You might think that World Warrior characters are completely outclassed, but high damage and fast dizzies are a deadly combination. In fact, World Warrior Guile is considered grossly overpowered. It's hard to balance a game that has, essentially, over 64 characters.

You can expect a few other extras, too, such as an arranged soundtrack (straight from the 3DO version of Super Turbo) and ... well, an arranged soundtrack. This is one game you play for the gameplay, and not unlockable distractions.

All of the above should be more than enough to occupy any world warrior, and we haven't even touched on Street Fighter III: Third Strike. Considered by most to be the pinnacle of the SFIII series, Third Strike is one of the fastest, deepest, and intensely skill-based fighting games ever made. It's also the best-animated 2D game yet released, thanks to the fact that the arcade original ran on Capcom's meaty CPS3 hardware. Watching Third Strike in motion is a joy, and the only thing better is actually playing it.

Street Fighter III's greatest innovation was its parrying system. Basically, tapping the joystick forward or down-forward at just the right time will parry almost any incoming attack, giving you the offensive initiative. This seemingly small change adds a whole new element of risk and reward. If Third Strike has a weak point, it may be in the bizarre character designs, which often lack the appeal of Street Fighter II's unforgettable cast. This is quickly forgotten, though, once one experiences the amazingly smooth, competitive gameplay.

Ah, but I've saved the best for last ... at least if you own an Xbox. The Xbox version of Street Fighter Anniversary Collection will support full online play via Xbox Live, a first for any American Street Fighter release. While I worry about the effects of lag (particularly in the ultra-precise Street Fighter III) I also can't wait to have instant access to human opponents, 24/7. This is what network adaptors were invented for.